Jia Jia, the world's oldest panda kept in captivity, died on Sunday at the Hong Kong theme park. Jia Jia died was euthanized at the age of 38 after her health deteriorated, officials said.
Jia Jia's health had deteriorated in recent weeks and had also lost her appetite, the park said in a statement. Vets at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, her home since 1999, took the decision on Sunday to prevent suffering.
"Jia Jia was observed to be rapidly deteriorating in recent two weeks, with her food consumption sharply declining from over 10kg to less than 3kg per day, and her average weight dropping from 71kg to around 67kg. Over the past few days, she has been spending less time awake and showing no interest in food or fluids. Her condition became worse this morning, Jia Jia was not able to walk about without difficulties and spent the day laying down," the park said in a statement.
"Jia Jia has been with Ocean Park for 17 years. She was a member of our family and she will be deeply missed, especially by the Park's keepers who took care of her over the years. Jia Jia was the world's oldest giant panda ever under human care at the ripe old age of 38."
Last year, the park celebrated Jia Jia's 37th birthday in a grand manner. Jia Jia was born in 1978 in the wild in Sichuan, China, and was handed over to the park authorities in 1999.
Check out below the photos of Jia Jia, the oldest panda according to the Guinness World Records.
